A group of urban nudists last week filed an amended complaint
in federal court challenging San Francisco's nudity ban.

The plaintiffs allege that arrests of nudists made last
month were illegal under the First and 14th amendments of the U.S.
Constitution.

[Updated 3/21: Thursday morning, federal Judge Edward M. Chen denied the plaintiffs' motion for a temporary restraining order. In his order, Chen said that the urban nudists did not submit any evidence to support their application.

"Moreover, even if the court were to accept the allegations in the application or the amended complaint, many of those allegations are conclusory or lacking in sufficient details. For instance, plaintiffs claim that, on February 1, 2013, a political rally was held on the steps of City Hall and that plaintiffs either wrote political slogans on their bodies or carried political signs, but there is no additional information as to what those slogans or signs said ..." the judge said.]

The five nudists – Mitch Hightower, Oxane
"Gypsy" Taub, George Davis, Rusty Mills, and Russell "Trey"
Allen III – contend in their complaint that the nudity ban is unconstitutional
and has been selectively enforced. Taub, Davis, and Allen were cited for being
naked in front of City Hall on February 1, the day the law went into effect.
Davis and Taub were also cited following a February 27 incident when they were
naked at 17th and Castro streets. All have pleaded not guilty.

The new complaint is based on those February 1 and 27
incidents. Allen has joined the other four nudists, who filed the initial
challenge to the law.

In a statement, the group said that there were no arrests at
two other actions, filming for a parody porn on February 17 and the World Naked
Bike Ride on March 9.

"Police were present but no arrests were made and no
one was cited, even though WNBR was not a permitted ride," the group
stated in a news release.

On January 29, U.S. District Court Judge Edward M. Chen
denied a request from the urban nudists seeking an injunction against the law.
They had argued it violated their free speech rights and that the city has no
authority to tell people they should be clothed. He dismissed the lawsuit.

Despite his rejection of their initial lawsuit, Chen left
the door open for the nudists to re-file their legal challenge after the law
went into effect. He had hinted during the oral arguments in the case of just
such a possibility, questioning what impact the nudity ban would have on
constitutionally protected political speech.

"This ruling does not bar plaintiffs from bringing a
class claim in an as-applied challenge, if they can ...," wrote Chen.

A spokesman for the city attorney's office had no immediate
comment on the amended complaint.

Under the law, exposing one's genitals, perineum or anal
region is banned on city streets, transit vehicles and at Muni stations.
Children under 5 years old are exempted and the restrictions do not apply to a
woman's breasts nor ban such things as chaps or other ass-bearing clothing.

EQCA marriage training

Several LGBT advocacy organizations will host a free
training on the "Breakthrough Conversation" Saturday, March 23 from 9
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 730 Polk Street in San Francisco.

The Breakthrough Conversation is a research-based advocacy
project that was launched by Equality California in September 2011 as a way for
LGBT people to continue working to shift public opinion on equality issues,
including same-sex marriage.

Now, other organizations are also involved, including Our
Family Coalition, Gay-Straight Alliance Network, and API Equality of Northern
California.

During the training, participants will learn the tools,
messages, and skills necessary to change hearts and minds of family, friends,
and neighbors on LGBT equality. Such messaging can lead to a reduction in
anti-LGBT prejudice, deepen people's personal relationships, and build lasting
support for LGBT equality, according to an event flier.

Castro Community on Patrol, the volunteer neighborhood crime
prevention group, will offer a training session on Sunday, March 24. People are
asked to arrive by 12:45 p.m. for the session, which will go until 4:30. Greg Carey
with CCOP said the training is for new volunteers or for existing volunteers
who need to re-certify.

The training will take place in the Castro Community Meeting
Room, above the Bank of America branch at 501 Castro Street.

During the upcoming Macy's Flower Show, an array of botanical
watercolor illustrations will be on display and for sale in the Tabletop Department
(sixth floor) at Macy's Union Square to benefit the National AIDS Memorial
Grove.

The illustrations, made by Mary L. Harden and master artists
in the Mary L. Harden School of Botanical Illustration, portray a delicate and
plaintive view of hydrangeas, magnolias, and other flowers found in the grove
in Golden Gate Park. The illustrations are the product of an eight-session
workshop at the Miraloma Club House in Diamond Heights.

The exhibition occurs in conjunction with the Macy's Flower
Show, which runs from March 24 until April 7, and includes live illustration
and shopping assistance from the artists themselves.

Harden, whose workspace often contains several graphite
pencils and a palette caked in watercolors, is a former special education
teacher for the San Francisco Unified School District and a curator for the
Conservatory of Flowers.

There will also be a seminar about botanical watercolor
illustration March 27 at 6 p.m. and live artist sessions March 30 and April 6
from noon to 2 p.m., all on the sixth floor of Macy's.

Author of Grindr book at LGBT center

Jaime Woo, the author of the recently released book Meet
Grindr, will be discussing hookup apps
during an appearance at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market
Street, Tuesday, March 26 from 8 to 9 p.m.

Woo's book is a comprehensive look at the design of hookup
apps and the potential effect they have on user behavior. The book argues that
although such apps are efficient, there is still much room for improvement. Woo
maintains that the solution for happier hookups starts by having users ask for
features that better fit their needs.

Woo will be reading from his book, which will be followed by
a discussion on how to improve hookup apps. The event is free.

LGBT aging panel to hold housing hearing

The housing committee of the San Francisco LGBT Aging Policy
Task Force will hold a hearing about the housing concerns of LGBT seniors
Monday, April 1 from 9 a.m. to noon in Room 416 at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B.
Goodlett Place.

Members of the LGBT community who are age 55 and over are
welcome to testify about their housing concerns, no matter what type of housing
they live in: a rent-controlled apartment, public housing or other subsidized
units, Section 8, an SRO, a shelter, a home that you own, etc. Homeless seniors
are also invited to talk about issues in the city's shelters or the difficulty
of finding a place to live.

Other areas of concern include: threats of eviction, actual
eviction, or fear of eviction; landlord not doing repairs or tenant is afraid
to ask for repairs; housing is not safe or secure or has an infestation; home
is under threat of foreclosure or has been foreclosed.

To testify, people should arrive at 9 a.m. and fill out a
speaker's card. For more information, contact Tommi Avicolli Mecca at (415)
703-8634.